By Lanre Oloyede
The Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) Mobilisation Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has set a target of mobilising at least five million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The National Director of PWDs Mobilisation, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, disclosed this on Wednesday during the inaugural meeting of the directorate’s leadership at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Abba Isa, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, said the directorate was determined to mobilise persons with disabilities across the country to secure victory for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the forthcoming general election.
He said the meeting was convened to develop strategies for galvanising the disability community ahead of the presidential campaign, scheduled to commence on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
According to him, the directorate would leverage existing disability organisations and grassroots networks to expand the party’s reach among eligible voters with disabilities nationwide.
He maintained that persons with disabilities constituted a significant electoral constituency whose political participation could influence the outcome of the election if effectively organised and mobilised.
The five-million-vote target signals the APC-PCC’s intention to make disability inclusion a central component of its grassroots mobilisation strategy as the ruling party intensifies preparations for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Abba Isa attributed the directorate’s support for the President to what he described as the administration’s commitment to promoting the rights, inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in national development.
He cited the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the creation of disability-focused agencies in several states as evidence of progress in institutionalising disability inclusion.
He also commended Tinubu for creating an office dedicated to special needs and equal opportunities within the Presidency, arguing that the arrangement had strengthened the visibility of persons with disabilities in governance.
The APC-PCC disability chief said the directorate would work with disability associations, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to translate the party’s engagement with the community into electoral support.
At the meeting, the Co-Director of the PWDs Mobilisation Directorate and APC National Leader of Persons With Disabilities, Aare Durotolu Oyebode Bankole, expressed confidence in the party’s chances in the 2027 election.
Bankole said the APC was working towards not only winning the presidential election but also securing a substantial margin over its opponents.
“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock,” he declared, reiterating the party’s determination to retain the presidency.
He added that the campaign organisation was positioning itself to mobilise support for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
Also speaking, Hon. Lois Auta, Deputy Director for Women in the PWDs Mobilisation Directorate and a board member of the Maryam Abacha National Centre for Women Development, said women with disabilities would play an active role in the campaign.
Auta identified the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the proposed Reserved Seats Bill for women and persons with disabilities as important developments in the quest for greater political representation.
She commended the APC for including women with disabilities in the directorate’s leadership, describing their participation as an opportunity to promote inclusive political engagement.
Meanwhile, Abba Isa emphasised the need to address barriers preventing persons with disabilities from participating fully in elections.
He disclosed that disability organisations, support groups and media representatives had engaged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on preparations for the 2027 polls, particularly the need for accessible polling units and voting procedures.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that eligible voters with disabilities could exercise their franchise without unnecessary obstacles.
The meeting brought together party officials and disability-sector representatives, including Misbahu Lawan Didi, secretary of the directorate, and Ayuba Burki Gufidan.
With the presidential campaign set to commence, the directorate faces the task of translating its five-million-vote ambition into a coordinated nationwide mobilisation effort.
Its success will depend on the reach of its grassroots structures, effective engagement with voters with disabilities and its ability to convert political commitments into votes at the ballot box.
